


Tricked in the Woods

by thelittlealchemist



Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Beast Wirt, Monster Transformation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28123287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelittlealchemist/pseuds/thelittlealchemist
Summary: Silence befell the gathering. Wirt hesitated, grip tightening on the handle of the lantern, before stepping forward, snow crunching with every slow step. Behind him, the bluebird called his name, in disbelief that he would take on such a task.A Beast!Wirt AU in which the lantern is a monstrous curse that can be passed onto others.
Relationships: Beatrice & Wirt (Over the Garden Wall), Sara/Wirt (Over the Garden Wall)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

Masked by tempest fog, The Beast grinned, moving forward to be faced to face with the teenager, his true form now no longer shrouded in smoke. Revealed, he was a tall, thin deer standing on two legs, eyes empty and white, antlers twisting together, and clawed, long-fingered hands where his front hooves should be. He smiled a sharp-toothed smile, furless skin wrinkling as the corners of his lips nearly reached where his ears would be.

He touched his fingertips together, pleased with the young man's decision. " Yes, now step forward... give me the lantern so that I may plant your brother's soul inside. "

The boy glanced at the Woodsman, still laid on the ground. Returning his gaze to the Beast before him, he nodded curtly, and extended his arm. Gently, the long fingers wrapped around the lantern's handle, lifting it up and out of the human's grasp. The hinges squeaked as the small panel opened, the flame inside swirling and burning despite the freezing temperature of the forest. 

It vanished, and a moment later, Wirt cried out as a searing pain struck his chest. He quickly brought his hands to what he assumed to be a fresh wound, but found nothing there, frustrated at the sudden darkness and pawing desperately at himself to find the source of the pain. Then he began to choke, feeling something rise from within him, something that felt solid yet not, something that glowed as bright as the flame that he had been staring into a moment before. His eyes widened as a luminescent mist flowed from his body into the lantern, transforming into a small, red ball of fire within its metal walls. And, just as quickly as the burning pain started,

It stopped. 

He thudded to the ground, panting, trying to catch his breath, only to discover the pain has started again. His body was covered in an itching sensation, and he scratched at his skin until he smelled blood, unable to stop the feeling. But it was overshadowed by the agony in his legs as they twisted into a shape that they were not meant to, the fabric of his pants ripping as they grew longer, animalistic, and his arms followed suit. An intense migraine blocked out the sound of Beatrice crying out, wishing she could help, if not stuck in this stupid, weak body. 

Antlers made from the branches grew out from the sides of his head, twisting and ending in wide, brown leaves. He curled up, in too much pain to get up, trying to soothe his aches with the snow. _What the hell happened?!_

Tears welled up in his eyes, flowing down his pale cheeks. They soon turned black, warm, and viscous, staining his face and the snow beneath his head black with oil as he weeped quietly. His eyes flickered open, casting a glow on the lantern that had just been placed beside him. Looking up, a black deer with glowing eyes and three toes on each hoof loomed over him. Despite his lack of an expression, the deer seemed to have a mocking air about him, and Wirt realized that _this_ was the Beast's true form. 

A strange deer cursed to become a horrible monster, feeding off of misery and the lost souls of those who wander through the woods. 

Wirt's pained expression was quickly replaced by one of rage, and he shot up, ignoring the ache that clawed at his bones. 

" YOU _TRICKED_ ME! "

The deer gave no response, simply flicking an ear as it watched Wirt attempt to stand up, failing and falling to his knees. Tears continued to fall, turning the ground before him black. 

The Beast snorted, and sped away, freed at last from its burden,leaving the broken boy to deal with his situation alone.

Breathing raggedly, Wirt attempted to stand up once more, finding balancing difficult on his new, deer-like legs. Stepping carefully, he made his way to Greg, the Edelwood around him dying as the last Beast no longer had the power to grow them. With his newfound strength, the elder brother pried off the branches, looking down at his sibling for a moment before turning to Beatrice. The bluebird returned his gaze, looking into his exhausted eyes as she flew in place. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the golden stork scissors, holding them out for Beatrice to see.

She gasped, eyes widening. " The scissors?! " 

Wirt nodded, holding out a furred hand to her, and she landed on it, hesitantly extending her wing.

\----

Wirt sat, kneeling at the pond, Beatrice beside him. He wished he could go home with his brother, to see he made it back safely, but he couldn't. The curse meant that he could never leave the Unknown-- not until he could find someone to take his place. He clawed at the ground in frustration, the cold having no affect on him as he dug his claws into the frozen earth. Slick oil continued to flow from his eyes, unable to stop his crying. 

The girl beside him looked to him, watching the black liquid drip from his cheeks. " I'm sorry. "

" It's okay. I'm sure h-he's alright. "

At his voice, Beatrice winced. He sounded the same, but... different. There was something off about his voice that sent a shiver down her spine, but she shook it off and reminded herself that he's the same stupid 16-17 year old who plays clarinet and whispers poetry to himself. 

Wirt was almost twice his original height, which only added to his intimidation factor, but she wouldn't let his appearance scare her away from helping him. " He's got plenty of family and friends to care for him. " she added in agreement. 

They sat in silence, thinking about what to do now. 

" You should go home. " 

The former bird looked to the Beast with wide eyes, before realizing he was right, sighing as she brushed her red hair out of her face. 

" What about you? " she asked in return, holding her legs close to her chest. 

" Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. " he still stared ahead into the water.

" Wirt, you do know what you have to do now, right? The Edelwoods aren't going to just appear on their own, and I _know_ you aren't capable of leading anyone to their death. "

She paused. " Except yourself. "

Wirt turned and glared, his multicolored eyes cutting into her, and she immediately apologized. 

" I-I'm sorry. Still a fresh wound. "

His gaze softened. " It's fine. "

It frightened him, seeing her shrink back so quickly at his stare. Would _everyone_ be afraid of him now? The folks at the tavern? The Woodsman? The frogs?

Lorna?

She had been put under a terrifying spell once herself, so she might be more understanding than the others in the Unknown. Maybe Auntie Whispers would appreciate having a new cursed teenager to take care of.

Wirt pulled himself from his thoughts, focusing back on Beatrice, and he looked away from her again. " You're right, anyway. I don't know how I'm gonna do this. I can't...I can't kill anyone. "

They remained in silence, listening to the sounds of the forest as the weight of Wirt's situation hung over them. 

The Beast closed his eyes tight, struggling to convince himself to end someone else's life to extend his own. Looking down at the lantern, he watched his bright red soul burn and swirl, the motions of the flame almost trying to hypnotize him into killing. He knows he has no choice. There's no other way.

There is only him.   
There is only his way.  
There is only the forest.  
And there is only **surrender.**


	2. Chapter 2

_THWACK!_  
_THWACK!_  
_THWACK!_

The sound of the woodswoman's ax striking the hollow Edelwood echoed through the forest. 

She sighed, placing it down carefully, and picked up the branches she had separated from the rest of the tree. In the distance, a haunting clarinet solo was heard, a sound that the inhabitants of the Unknown grew to fear. They knew that following it would lead to their doom, turned into the fuel that the Beast needed to live. 

_Clarinet. He makes CLARINET sound scary._

Unable to carry any more wood, Beatrice lifted her oil-soaked ax and began the trek home. She didn't mind the work-- she was used to it, and she cared about Wirt enough to do the heavy lifting while he moped around in the forest. She pitied him, the poor boy, forced into such an awful situation. Alone, with only one or two friends, as nearly everyone is terrified of him now, despite being relatively unchanged outside of his appearance.

He'd attempted to pay visit to the Dark Lantern, hoping they'd have some knowledge of the curse, but was immediately met with weapons pointed in his direction. Though they hurt, the wounds did not affect him, except for the damage to his heart. Just a week ago, they were singing together and celebrating his accomplishments. 

But now they only look at him in disgust and fear.

The woodswoman sighed, glancing in the direction of the music he played. They'd given up on finding a way to get rid of the curse, as Wirt's body would be long dead by the time they found anyone they could trick into accepting the lantern. He would be stuck here either way. _So why bother?_

" Oh, yeah? And then what happened? " Wirt asked, his voice echoing. 

" And then, Jason Funderburker found _another_ old cat, but I told him to put it back, because we were playing _two_ old cat, not _three_ old cat, " Greg replied, his brother's voice not bothering him at all.

He was just happy to hear it. 

Wirt sat with his legs splayed out in front of him, Greg in his lap, supporting his back with one arm. " I'm not sure Jason Funderburker knows how to count. "

" Hmm, maybe you're right. I should teach him! "

" Should've taken him to Mrs. Langtree when you had the chance. "

The brothers laughed. Only in their dreams could they see eachother, but it was enough. It was better than nothing. 

Wirt hesitated before speaking. "Greg?"

"Yeah?"

" How's Sara doing? "

Greg thought for a moment. " She's still dancing around in that bee costume. She misses you a lot, so I tell her about our visits. Hey, maybe you should visit her dreams too! "

He looked up at his brother with sparkling eyes. " Then you could listen to the tape together, and hang out, and hold hands, and she'll feel better! "

Imagining Sara mourning him made his heart hurt. He pictured her at his funeral, clutching the tape, tears flowing, wishing she had a chance to talk to him before it was too late.  
The oil that dripped from his eyes grew heavier with his own tears, and he wiped his face on his sleeve. 

" That sounds like a great idea, Greg. "

He stroked the boys hair, who in response snuggled close, enjoying the precious few moments they had together, before he would wake up to another brotherless day.

\---

From the edges of her vision, a dark fog slowly crept into the scene, shrouding everything in darkness. The scent of the forest mixed with oil and just a _hint_ of sweaty teenage boy filled the air. As the mist settles in, a calmness washes over the area.

Sara knew she was dreaming as she found herself in the darkness, earthy scents mingling in her nose, mixing with what seemed to be oil, and sweat. At first, she was afraid, chills running along her spine, goosebumps trailing her arms.

Piercing through the darkness are a pair of pure white, glowing eyes, approaching slowly but steadily. Quiet hoofsteps came with the movement.

A strange sense of tranquility settled upon her. She gazes into the mist, and her eyes meet the white, piercing orbs of the Beast's.

As the closer it got, the more the smoke drifted away and off of the figure, revealing twisted antlers, a long, flowing black coat, and...

A red dunce cap. 

She holds her breath, expecting this calm forest to suddenly turn dark, expecting the animalistic creature to jump out and eat her heart out.

The feeling is gone, however, when she recognizes the cap. 

The shadowy figure stopped about 10 feet away from her, saying nothing, as if still gathering its thoughts. It simply stared, its white eyes now ringed in pastel green and yellow, with light red pupils gazing into the girl's own eyes. 

The Beast said one word:

"Sara."

And the voice... different, but all too familiar. The eyes, now ringed with glowing, eye-straining pastels, burn in her soul.

She's laying in the dirt, but she moves backwards, gazing up at the creature in wonder.

"W-Wirt?" She tries the name, despite the possibility that this couldn't be Wirt. It's relieving, nonetheless, despite the strangeness of its tone on her tongue.

He smiles for a brief moment, relieved that she could still recognize him. Lowering himself to the ground to be at eye level, he takes a few more moments to gather his thoughts, placing his lantern a few feet away. He stayed a distance from her, not wanting to get to close and risk scaring her away.

Wirt placed his hands on the ground, to help himself balance as he crouched on flimsy deer legs. The glow of his soul cast a red light on the pair.

He speaks at last. " I'm sorry. I don't know how to enter someone's dream without...a-all that. "

Same nervous boy. But what happened? Where is he? Why does he look this way?

" Uh, Greg told me you missed me, a lot. I'm sorry I just left you like that, " he gave another apology, " Th-Things came up, I got cursed, and, uh, yeah. I'm probably dead by now. "

He'd come to accept his death in the past weeks, able to visit who he cared about in the living world via dreams. It wasn't exactly real, but it was enough to keep him sane. He gave a tired smile.

Sara doesn't know what to say, as she stares at the beastly creature in front of her. She's filled with emotion at the sight, and at his words. The familiarity of his voice, the nervous, awkward tone. This is Wirt, she decides, and manages to lift herself from the ground, keeping her eyes on his.

What happened to him? How was he cursed? He spoke with Greg, too? This was a dream? Questions swarmed her mind, but refused to leave her trembling lips.

She's uncharacteristically quiet, but her eyes are clouded with tears. And is that a smile forming across her lips?

"I know, I know, I have a l-lot to explain. "

Sara takes a step forward to him, and another, coming ever so closer, but cautiously as if approaching an animal. 

His smile grows as she approaches, remaining in place, still letting her go at her own pace. He would give her all the time she needed to process the infodump dropped on her.

She laughs, but a sob-like noise escapes her mouth instead. And then she's quiet again, staring up at him. "You've... you've gotten taller."

Wirt returns her gaze, the brightness of his eyes dimming slightly as he relaxed, laughing lightly at her comment. 

" It only took a horrible curse, but I've got my growth spurt at last. "

She laughs again. "Now I'm the short one." But her laughter vanishes almost immediately. She hadn't laughed in a while, so doing so almost felt like it was forbidden. And it didn't feel right, knowing that Wirt was dead. Wasn't he dead? But he was right here, in her dreams? Why did this feel so real?

He frowns when her laughter suddenly stops, assuming she felt guilty laughing at his expense. 

" Hey, it's alright. I've come to... accept my situation. "

When she was close enough, he slowly opened his arms in an offer of a hug. In case she needed it, or if she needed to know that despite this being a dream, he _was real_ , even if just a ghost.

She pushes her questions away, knowing they will be answered soon, but also because Wirt had opened his arms for a hug.

She almost immediately throws herself into the embrace, wrapping her arms around his torso, her head rested against him. Her laughter is gone, instead replaced by a hitching breath, threatening to turn into sobs.

"I-- I miss you."

Wrapping his arms around her, he hoped the slick fur didn't bother her as he held her close. Remaining silent, he gently stroked her back, trying to reassure her that she could relax. At her next words, he opened his eyes, and gave her a careful squeeze.

" I miss you, too. " his voice was hushed. " I'm sorry. "

Sara looks up at him, keeping her arms around the other. She's quiet, gazing at him with tearful eyes. But she smiles, nonetheless.

The fur didn't seem to bother her. She was so focused on the fact that Wirt was here, and she could talk to him, and he was responding back to her. Something that she didn't think she would ever be able to do again.

His words and touch comforted her, despite this intimidating, new appearance. She did relax, comfortable in these beastly arms.

"It's... it's okay," she manages to say, "It's not your fault." She doesn't want to let go.

He opened his mouth to retort, but hesitated. While falling into the Unknown _waswas_ , but it _wasn't_. He honestly didn't know what being lanternbearer would accomplish--if Greg's soul ended up in the lantern as promised, wouldn't that trap both of them here? Or would he return to the world, just without his soul? Clearly, he had acted on impulse, and he now faced the consequences. 

He sighed. " It is. But I just wanted to keep Greg alive--at any cost. I didn't...I didn't think things through. "

Sara keeps her eyes on him, and her voice is soft when she speaks. Though sad, and filled with a small sorrow, it is gentle, and she smiles. "I understand." Or, she understood what he was saying. And why he did what he did. She didn't understand the situation he went through.

His legs began to ache, and he, without warning, lifted Sara up bridal style so he could readjust his position. Now sitting with his legs in front of him, he placed her back down, in his lap. He looked to her, his multicolored eyes tired, his tears of oil still flowing and dripping from his chin. 

She yelps some, surprised when she's lifted up, and then can't help but let out a soft laugh when put down again. Okay, so he's taller, and much stronger, it seems.

She looks at him, her laughter subsiding once more. She reaches up a hand, and wipes some of the oil from his face and chin, not caring that it stained her fingertips.

He's relieved when she understands, allowing him to take responsibility for his actions. His smile returns, widening when she laughs again. It was a sound he missed so much, and he was glad to hear it. 

" it is my fault, but....b-but it's okay. Greg is safe, and I can still talk to the living via dreams. I can deal with this. I promise."

He plants a kiss on her forehead.

"It's okay," she echoes him, quietly, and looks down when he kisses her forehead. A small blush creeping upon her face. She nods, finally, and takes a deep, shaky breath. "It's okay." 

It feels as if a small weight has been lifted from her shoulders. Not a heavy one, but its enough to notice, and she knows it's from seeing Wirt. Relieved that she could speak to him.

She has so much to say. And she's sure he does, too.

After a few moments of silence, he speaks again. " So...I bet you have a lot of questions. "

He predicted that her first question would be _What the hell happened to you?_ and thus he recalled all the events leading up to now, holding them in his mind as if he was afraid he could possibly forget any details. 

" I'll explain everything. "


	3. Chapter 3

Sara nods, and she gets comfortable in her seated position, gazing up at the beastly creature before her. She does have a lot of questions, but she wants to wait to see if he would answer any of them in his explanation.

"Yeah. You're all... fluffy and scary," she says, calmly, not sounding scared at all. Just curious, and she can't help but smile again.

 _Fluffy and scary_ , the words repeated in his mind. He chuckled. " That's what Greg said, too. " 

Then, she takes another breath. This was serious. Wirt had been gone for... so long, it felt like. And after him mentioning a curse, she knew the explanation would be hard to believe. She needed to focus, to listen to him. To understand.

She waits for him to continue, this time concentrating on him and only him.

Besides, they don't have all the time in the world, it seems. At least until she wakes up, which worried her. She didn't want to see Wirt go again.

He put on his serious face as well, exhaling slowly as he collected his thoughts. "So, as you know, on Halloween, Greg and I fell into that river. "

He went on to tell the tale of what had happened over the garden wall, all the friends they made, the mysterious foe they faced, the dangers, the thrills, and most importantly, 

" The Curse. In the Unknown, this lantern," he held it up with his free hand, " is passed around from fool to fool, cursing them with a monstrous form and a terrible task to bear. Those who carry the lantern must carry their soul within the lantern, and the only way to keep it lit..."

He hesitates. " The only way to keep it lit is to grind up the lost souls of those who wander through the woods. "

The oil that dripped from his eyes became thicker, flowing faster as be began to sniffle. _I've killed people, Sara_ , he had just confessed. A mix of bitterness and guilt crossed his face, placing the lantern back down and digging his claws into the dirt beside him. 

" I was told that Greg's soul would be put in the lantern, but I was tricked. The Beast was freed of the curse, skipping away merrily as the weight of my burden crushed me in the snow. "

He sighed again, forcing himself to relax. "And now, everyone's afraid of me except Beatrice, who helps me, chopping down those horrible trees to keep me alive." Another pause. " As alive as I _can_ be here. "

Sara is quiet as she listens to his words, her eyes widening some. It all seems so unreal, but she believes him. Especially seeing him in his current state, it's hard not to. She keeps her eyes on his glowing ones, her own filled with small shock.

She winces as he continues on about the curse, and she senses his upset. It's hard not to be, it seems, in his situation.

She reaches up again to wipe at the oil tears on his cheeks, a frown on her face. She doesn't know what's it like to be cursed, to be tricked like this... but seeing him, she knows it's awful.

She seemed to accept his words quickly, and he assumed she really had no choice but to believe him. He closes his eyes as she attempts again to wipe away the viscous liquid that flowed down his cheeks, to no avail. His tears never ceased.

"Wirt... I'm so sorry," she whispers, "That's... that's horrible." She wish she could help him, or at least be with him in this strange world. Maybe she and Greg could get him out... but that seemed impossible.

"So..." she's quiet, "So there's no way to get your soul out of the lantern? There's no way to... free you of the curse?"

When Sara asked him if there was nothing he could do to free his soul, he looked to the lantern. The red flame burned bright, despite the pain he felt. His gaze remained locked on it for a moment before he looked back to the girl in his lap. He shakes his head slowly. 

" There is a way. One way: I have to get someone else to accept the lantern as their own possession, to carry it and fuel it as if their own. But I....I-I don't know anyone I'd want to dump this onto, let alone anyone who would cooperate."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue, remaining silent.

Sara frowns deeper at this, looking at the lantern, and then back at Wirt. She deflates some. "Oh..." she murmurs, voice soft. She is quiet for a while, listening to the eerie silence of the misty wood.

Then, she swallows, heavy. "I... I wish I could help you," she murmurs, her nose scrunching up some, in disgust. "I wish I could fight the... the dumb creature that tricked you." Her eyes are hard, but then they soften.

He opens his eyes when she speaks again, smiling briefly as she offers to attack the pitch black deer that was once the Beast. It was hard to resist tearing the foul animal apart himself, especially with the violent impulses that came with his new form. But he restrained himself, knowing it would do nothing to fix his situation. 

She is quiet again, examining their surroundings. "At least you can talk to me. And I can talk to you.. and... you're here," she mumbles.

She knows it would be somewhat selfish to wish the curse upon someone else, so she keeps her mind occupied, so she wouldn't think about that.

Wirt follows her gaze, glancing around at the forest that surrounded them. When he looked back to her, he nodded curtly. At least we have the dreams.

The image of the Beast began to flicker, the scent of the woods fading. Frowning, he wrapped his arms around Sara, hugging her tight as she began to wake up. Oil soaked into the shoulder of her pajama shirt, and claws dug lightly into her back. 

" _I'll see you again soon._ "

Sara frowns as Wirt hugs her, and her eyes widen some. She didn't want to say goodbye yet, to wake up. She didn't want to see him go again. But she hugs him anyways. The smell of oil and trees were strong, so strong that it was almost sickening as she faded in and out of the dream-world.

"Don't go...." she whispers, "I love you."

But when she opens her eyes, she is laying in her bed, hugging the pillow next to her. Back into the cold, dark world of reality. 

The images of Wirt's smile linger in her head, and she can't help but smile some, hugging her pillow tighter. Hearing his voice echo in her mind.

"See ya, Wirt."

"I love you--"

Wirts eyes snapped open. "...too."

He sat in a clearing, glancing around as he gathered his thoughts. His breathing slowed, and he held his face in his hands, bringing his knees to his chest. The cold sank back in, numbing him once more. _Why must the nights be so short?_

Standing, Wirt lifted his lantern and walked away from the trees, making his way back to the mill. 

Opening the door, he greeted Beatrice's numerous family members, who returned his hello warmly. Her mother offered him breakfast, and he politely declined, telling her that he needed to do something first. Walking past the table, he made his way to the room that Beatrice did her work, placing his lantern on the table that sat next to the window. Sighing, he watched the bright red glow dance and burn.

It was relieving, knowing that he could visit those he cared about in their dreams. He much preferred being with them physically, but he was going to take what he could get. The dream with Sara lingered in his mind. Looking outside to the rising sun, he urged the day to go by faster, wanting to see her and Greg again. 

And maybe even his parents. They deserved to know what happened too.

After nibbling his breakfast, Wirt stepped outside, sweeping his gaze across the forest before setting off, lantern in hand. 

To find his next victim. To play his mournful melody, to make more Edelwood, to wander the woods alone. 

But he felt less alone knowing that he was still in touch with those he cared about back home. He'd be alright, for now.

The Beast inhaled, beginning his siren song, the sound of clarinet ringing through the forest, slightly less gloomy than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that's the end! Idk if I'll ever write more, but I'll definitely be drawing! You can follow my art on tumblr @ chimeracreations! and check out my friend, nothing-but-kara , who helped out a lot in writing this!


End file.
